Heat

Saturday's notebook

January 12, 1992

HEAT: Coach Kevin Loughery, whose team lost, 108-99, to the Bulls on Saturday night, predicted Chicago would win the NBA title again this season. ''They're a great team and have a lot of gears to shift into. I can't see anyone beating them.'' . . . Brian Shaw, traded Friday night from the Boston Celtics to Miami for Sherman Douglas, was held scoreless against Chicago.

KINGS: Point guard Spud Webb did not dress for for the second consecutive game because of a pulled right hamstring. Sacramento did well without him, winning at Milwaukee, 106-105, in overtime.

HAWKS: Dominique Wilkins had a simple solution to why Atlanta lost to Indiana: ''We couldn't make shots. I can't tell you how many open shots we missed. You have to give them credit, though. They're a good team.''

JAZZ: Utah, playing away from home for the third time in four nights, shot only 40 percent at Minnesota. Minnesota center Felton Spencer blocked a career-high seven shots as the Timberwolves constantly double-teamed Karl Malone in the low post. ''Usually you get in foul trouble before you get seven blocks,'' Spencer said. ''We tried to trap and get in good position.'' Malone failed to score 20 points for only the seventh time this season.

NETS: There has been plenty of speculation that Bill Fitch soon will be out as coach, but Pistons coach Chuck Daly doesn't understand why. ''They have to be kidding if they are thinking of a coaching change in New Jersey,'' Daly said after the Pistons snapped the Nets' three-game winning streak. ''This is a team reacting. What is scary is, Derrick Coleman didn't even play.'' Coleman, the Nets' top scorer, is injured.

CELTICS: Sherman Douglas scored four points in 10 minutes against the Knicks in his first appearance for Boston after being traded from Miami on Friday night for Brian Shaw.

CAVALIERS: Cleveland, having won 11 consecutively, is heading into a lengthy homestand on a court where it is 15-1. The Cavs tied the franchise record for the longest winning streak with the victory over Philadelphia. It's also the longest winning streak in the league.

WARRIORS: Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Sarunas Marciulionis - the league's top-scoring trio on one team with a 68.6-per-game average - were held in check by the Suns. Marciulionis has 25 points, Hardaway 20 and Mullin 18.